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    The Mandarin Restaurant

    3.7 (107 reviews)
    ModerateChinese
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    The Mandarin Restaurant Photos

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    THE MANDARIN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - The Mandarin Restaurant

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    Sweet and sour fish
    Steven U.

    Dinner with friends for me, is always a win. But sometimes, when the restaurant is amazing as well, it's a double win! We met up at this place because a friend recommended it...and we wanted to try. Boy, was it good! I happened to be a little early, and the nice lady who works there (Elisa/Lisa) was very nice. Even though I was there alone waiting, she brought me ice water and hot tea...so sweet. She was attentive the whole dinner...it's so refreshing to have great service with your meal. Full disclosure, the items we ate don't automatically scream authentic Chinese cuisine, but all the food was delicious. We had... Fried dumplings Boiled dumplings Fried oysters Jiajiamen (black bean over dry noodles) Spicy crispy shrimp Bittermelon w beef Fried chicken wings Sweet and sour fish The dumplings were very good. Crispy, boiled, doesnt matter...I would get them again. Plump and juicy...these dumplings went down very easy with vinegar and soy sauce. I'm kinda particular about oysters and these were perfect for me. Great oyster taste, but very crispy and hot. They came with their own dipping sauce....yummo! The spicy crispy shrimp was my favorite. A little sweet, a little heat, and a lot of crispy. Oh man what a combination! It was a 3 out of 10 (and I'm a wimp) on my spicy scale, so there was just enough heat to enhance the flavor. The big surprise was the fried chicken wings. Unbelievably crispy and seasoned to perfection. It was hard to eat just one. I don't normally eat chicken wings...and I really don't eat them at Chinese restaurants...but these are a must try. Definitely a crowd pleaser. We also had spicy cured pickles that came with one of the dishes. Wow. So flavorful and they complemented the food so perfectly...sort of addictive. Thanks to my friends, I think I have found my favorite non-Chinatown Chinese restaurant. I will definitely be back to try other dishes!

    Front entrance
    Paul C.

    ***4.5 STARS*** When peeps in my office also found out I'm a foodie, they often share with me their findings. However, they do not document their experiences, so I have to remember or take notes of what's good and at where. One of them was The Mandarin, a northern Chinese cuisine restaurant at Imperial Plaza. I've passed by this restaurant many, many times as I get my haircut from the salon just next door. My hair stylist has mentioned about this place to me but never made the effort to give them a try. Re-opened in 2007, The Mandarin is a husband-and-wife team from Taiwan who serves delicious northern Chinese style cuisine and boasts non-usage of monosodium glutamate (MSG). To be on the safe side, I wasn't too sure how large is the restaurant and how busy they may be, I called ahead and made reservations for a table of 5. We arrived at 630pm to an empty restaurant. The interior was tasteful with Chinese décor and ornaments here and there, but it was a little gloomy. We studied the reviews and glanced at the limited photo gallery on Yelp, where it was challenging on what to order. I had jotted down dishes of interest where the list grew to a whopping ten items. The wife was very friendly and quite efficient in taking our order. I read my list one by one and she repeated our order perfectly. Seems like the back of the house is run by her husband and our food came out one by one. Photos were snapped and it was time to dig in. THE VERDICT: We found the food delicious. Made to order, our dishes were brought out temperature hot. Some dishes were just okay for us but family favorite was the spicy garlic shrimp. Amazing flavor and texture contrast in this dish. Loved the crispy exterior and the bits of garlic and peppers. It was so good that I ordered another one. Chicken wings were also spot on. Executed beautifully. Crispy, juicy and seasoned well. The Zhajiangmian was also notable. The staff advised us the noodles and dumpling wrappers are all house made. Great texture and bounce, the bean sauce was robust and clung to the noodles and enjoyed the crunch of the vegetables. The noodles in the Jjamppong were also good texture. Accompanying broth was just okay. We loved the boiled dumplings and liked it better than the fried potstickers. To be frank, we weren't impressed with the eggplant with tofu, sweet and sour pork and jellyfish. They looked promising on the plate but no wow factor when we sampled them. Service was above average, perhaps we were the only patrons while dining there. There was a phone call for a carryout order and a family of 3 arrived early and sat on the other round table with a reserved sign sitting on top as we left at 745pm. Overall, a pleasant first experience at The Mandarin where family is game for another visit. There are other items on the menu that we would like to sample. NOTE: Validated parking in the Imperial Plaza parking garage.

    Outside
    S M.

    Today I got to try the Hot Sweet and Sour Pork with Rice and House Soup included, which were all tasty. Also, the service was very friendly and helpful.

    Fried prawns, potstickers, beef and broccoli, dumplings, scallion pancake
    Elaine L.

    This little hidden gem is the best! We visited this centrally located spot during our trip to Oahu. It is a mom and pop owned shop with delicious, fresh, and authentic Chinese food. Our favorites were the potstickers were so fresh and crispy (they make them homemade!) and the beef and broccoli. We went for dinner. The service was also super fast - they were super attentive so great to grab a quick bite for lunch or takeout. It is really clean inside and a very welcome environment. Highly recommend!!

    Bitter melon with pork
    Brennan H.

    Came here to try them out as I was craving bitter melon and this place had it on the menu. It's a small restaurant that is run by a husband and wife. The lady was super nice and friendly. We came during lunch on a weekday and it had one other person waiting for take out and no one dining in. We ordered our food quickly and the lady quickly gave the order to her husband in the kitchen and then rang the total up. Food was ready in about 10 min. The pot stickers were delicious - lots of filling and cooked well. The soup that came with the meal tasted like a mix between egg drop soup and hot and sour soup. I personally liked it a lot. I got the bitter melon with pork. I liked it, but wish there was a little more black bean in the sauce. Overall, it was nicely done and was flavorful with bitter melon that wasn't that bitter. I also got the jajiangmien (black bean noodles). The noodles were perfect and the sauce on top was tasty. Overall, it's a solid choice and I will be back again next time i'm craving chinese!

    House soup (comes with meal)
    Crystal R.

    Located on Cooke Street next to Cooke Street Market lies this little husband and wife operated restaurant. Since this place is within walking distance from my place, I figured to give this place a shot and I am so glad that I decided to venture here! There is street parking available and if the street is full, there should be parking located in the building. This place isn't your typical Chinese restaurant where you and your party is served family style. Instead, this restaurant focuses on individual servings. The menu is located on the table and each entree listed comes with rice and house soup (egg drop soup). It's not all individual serving; you can order appetizers for your whole party to share. Each item is made to order and the husband usually cooks it for you while the wife is providing excellent service. The meals served here are decently priced and it fills your tummy up. I'm surprised that they don't have much traffic as they should be as their dishes are made with care and are quite flavorful!

    Outside
    Ryan G.

    I've gotta be honest, I've only ordered 1 thing here: the Mongolian beef with fried rice. It always hits the spot. They pair the plate with a nice coup of egg drop soup (I like to pour it over the beef and rice, add hot sauce and hot mustard). The location is easily accessible with street parking out front. The owners are always very sweet and welcoming.

    Pan fried chive pancake
    Kim B.

    Absolutely been coming here forever but haven't actually eaten for a few a years. Same owners and same delicious tastes. Ambiance is cheerful but the food is great love that. Service is fast and our food came out pretty quickly. Didn't take all the pics of how much food was ordered. However it was incredible.

    Garlic shrimp with chili sauce

    There's no reason this place should be dead at lunchtime on a Wednesday! Staff is sweet and respectful, soup and entrees are filling and delicious! No skimping on flavors over here! The restaurant is clean and service is prompt.

    Menu from 3/17/2023
    John C.

    Love the spicy garlic chicken! My favorite dish. Normally come by for take out whenever craving. Other great dishes, but sucker for my favorite.

    Soup
    Tara L.

    not your typical chinese restaurant. we went here for lunch, and when looking at the menu everything was individual plates (main and starch). not family style like i was expecting. i got the steamed fish (one of my faves at chinese restaurants), my coworker got the orange chicken with chow funn. my entree was pretty standard. half of a fish (not a whole fish) served with a bowl of rice. it also came with a cup of egg drop soup. both were served super hot, so do not dig in right away unless you can handle the heat! (temperature) my coworkers entree however was so strange. it was literally chow funn WITH orange chicken. everything was mixed together in the same orange chicken sauce. it wasnt orange chicken with a side of chow funn like we expected. that being said, it was also just chow funn noodles. no veggies, no others meats mixed in, just plain white noodles. needless to say it was not as appetizing since the whole thing was sauced up, and the sauce itself was super garlicy. he only ate maybe half. good place to go if you want chinese food and youre dining by yourself, because the plates are smaller and all come with a starch. not so good if youre expecting family style shareable chinese entrees. i also did not see any chinese chicken salad on the menu, which was surprising to me since thats a usual staple.

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    13 years ago

    Best Ja Jang Mein on the island..the only few left.

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    13 years ago

    Very authentic Chinese food. Boss lady is super nice. The dumplings do have Shandongnese taste! I love here!

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    11 years ago

    Every time I order orange chicken - I can tell it's made fresh. Oh so ono! My favorite Chinese restaurant.

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    8 years ago

    Should've listened to the reviews. Worst kuang poa chicken I've ever had. Hands down. Never again.

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    Page 3 of 3

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    Yi Xin Cafe

    Yi Xin Cafe

    4.4
    (451 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$
    Takes reservations
    Catering service

    You can't eat here and not get any crab I just love the curry crab I tried chili crab even in…read moreSingapore but but when I tried the curry crab here I never order anything else ; I just love this curry crab dish omg it is lick your fingers delicious! You wear plastic gloves when you eat this and I still lick my fingers Lol I know the crab seems expensive but you really cannot not order it when you come! The curry crab comes with 4 pieces of naan bread sometimes we order extra naan but we do eat it with rice The salted egg chicken wings is another item we get here I love bringing friends from out of town here; we come as often as we can even though we live on the west side Heart emoji! :o)

    Would come back over and over again! 4 stars for some dishes being a bit expensive for what it is,…read moreand don't expect the cuisine to be authentic in any way, it's a fuse between Chinese/HK/Thai/Hawaii. However, every dish I've had was always delicious. + Food: Crab Curry is their most popular. Love their curry sauce (tastes similar to Thai yellow curry), but the crab doesn't have a lot of meat for a $80 dish. They didn't have a shell cracker so eating was tricky. Sambal veggies, Salt pepper fish, fried rice, curry fries were all delicious and well-flavored. + Ambience: Medium sized restaurant with good amount of tables. Usually no wait but can't say for peak dinner time. Good service + Location: in the Foodland plaza with plenty of parking spots

    Photos
    Yi Xin Cafe
    Szechun spicy JJ chicken pot
    Szechun spicy JJ chicken pot
    Impressive presentation that served with sizzling sound, but the beef was too well done & on the tough side.

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    Impressive presentation that served with sizzling sound, but the beef was too well done & on the tough side.
    Wuwei Chong Qing Cuisine

    Wuwei Chong Qing Cuisine

    4.3
    (211 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    Authentic Chong Qing style noodles - really worth to give it a try. Some hopefully helpful tips:…read more1. The noodles only have one size but it's pretty large. Depending on your appetite, two ladies could possibly share. We ordered 2 and it was enough for 3 people to share. 2. Since we do not eat anything spicy, we asked for non-spicy from the get-go at ordering. The owner was able to accommodate. 3. Parking is street parking only but readily available fronting the restaurant. 4. The restaurant space is rather small, so it gets busy during meal time. We often take out by ordering ahead of time.

    stand alone restaurant - with limited seating insides…read more freshmade noodle for sure noted with quality. Do recommended getting chewy noodle vs flat noddle. The texture is more enjoyable when eating. Flat noddle - would have prefer to be more wide in size. Had the beef noodle classic -flavor in broth was decent, but could use with additional pickle vegetables to bring some sour and cut the richness of the broth. beef itself was very tender and came in separate bowl. Breakdown easily. not spicy at all though. next dish tried - was the pickle fish noodle - first time trying to dish anywhere. Surprisingly preferred this over the beef noodle. a little bit of sour, but just the right amount with the creamy broth mix. This with the chewy noodle was bomb. Highly recommended* price - reasonable for quality - but could have more noodle for quantity*

    Photos
    Unique cr code menu
    Unique cr code menu
    泡椒鸭爪米线(Duck Feet Rice Noodle)Added Duck Blood (good!! Nice numbing and spicy)
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    Pork with green peppers and fried egg

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    Pork with green peppers and fried egg
    Lam's Kitchen

    Lam's Kitchen

    4.4
    (653 reviews)
    0.9 mi
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    Amazing Chinese noodles restaurant in Chinatown known for their beef noodles!…read more We had the beef mein, beef chow fun, and side order of look fun. Everything was great but the beef in the soup was the highlight, it was soft but not too soft and full of flavor. It paired perfectly with the noodles and soup. We went on a Sunday for lunch and they were pretty busy but we only had to wait maybe 10 - 15 min. Service was very speedy. Cute Chinatown shop vibes.

    Located in Chinatown, Lam's Kitchen is on a corner on Maunakea Street. The building is brick and…read morethe restaurant has red doors, which we read had been newly renovated. Inside, the space feels busy with tables and people moving around. There are benches inside for those waiting for a table. We had to wait a bit before we were seated but they seemed efficient in ushering people in and out of the restaurant. The middle had smaller tables, which seemed most suitable for two people. The sides had larger tables for larger parties. The tables felt pretty close together but we enjoyed the stool/bench chairs we sat on. They were different than what we are used to in restaurants. Our order was taken quickly. We decided to get the beef chow fun, yang chow fried rice, and cheong fun. The cheong fun was good, especially after adding hoisin sauce. The texture was soft and the portion was quite decent. The chow fun was also yummy. It was tasty without being overbearing. The fried rice was our favorite. It was flavorful and included a variety of ingredients. The prices were not bad either, considering the portion sizes. We hope to be back one day to try more of what they have!

    Photos
    So clean and spacious
    So clean and spacious
    Beef Chow Fun
    Beef Chow Fun
    Lam's Kitchen

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    The Mandarin Restaurant - chinese - Updated June 2026

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